Save Our Hospitals is a resident-led campaign group formed in July 2012. We are FIGHTING against the NHS plans to DEMOLISH Charing Cross Hospital and downgrading of our A&Es( Hammersmith, Charing Cross, Ealing and Central Middlesex Hospitals)

Saturday, 19 March 2016

Junior doctors strike: Politicians join picket lines...

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell declared his 100% support for the strike as he joined doctors outside Hillingdon Hospital.

More than 1,000 operations and treatments are expected to be cancelled at hospitals across London after junior doctors again took to the picket line in protest at planned changes to working conditions.

The third walkout over pay and working hours began at 8am on Wednesday (March 9) and is due to last for 48 hours.

NHS England estimates 1,068 procedures scheduled at hospitals across London over the two days will have to be rearranged due to the industrial action.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council leader Stephen Cowan and shadow chancellor John McDonnell were among the politicians joining picket lines outside hospitals in west London as the latest strike got underway.

The picket line outside Ealing Hospital

Mr Cowan showed his support for junior doctors outside Charing Cross Hospital, while Mr McDonnell visited those outside Hillingdon Hospital in solidarity with their cause.

Sean Morris, a junior doctor at Ealing Hospital, said: "It was a very good turn out. Junior doctors are united. The mood was one of resilience

"(Health secretary Jeremy) Hunt claims his door is always open but that has shown to be false. He is not interested in junior doctors or the public who support junior doctors."

Two further walkouts planned for April

Further 48-hour strikes are planned for April 6-8 and April 26-28 if the dispute between the Government and medical union BMA cannot be resolved.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced last month that controversial new working conditions would be imposed upon junior doctors after talks broke down.

​The BMA has said it will apply for a judicial review of what it describes as the "unfair" contract, but Mr Hunt says the proposed legal challenge is "misconceived and is bound to fail".

The Department of Health says the new arrangements will improve patient care outside of normal working hours and a 13.5% rise in basic pay means no junior doctor will be worse off.

BMA plans to apply for judicial review over unfaircontract

But the BMA claims the new contract will hit those already working the most unsociable hours and will make it harder to attract and retain doctors.

BMA junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana said: "We deeply regret disruption to patients, but the Government has left junior doctors with no choice.

"Ministers have made it clear they intend to impose a contract that is unfair on junior doctors and could undermine the delivery of patient care in the long term."

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Further strike action is completely unnecessary and will mean tens of thousands more patients face cancelled operations – over a contract that was 90% agreed with the BMA and which senior NHS leaders including Simon Stevens have endorsed as fair and safe.

"The new contract will mean an average 13.5% basic pay rise, and will bring down the maximum number of hours doctors can work."